Safety device for firearms



Oct. 12, 1948. l. E. SYRJALA 2,451,003

SAFETY DEVICE FOR FIREARMS Filed Jan. e, 1948 lRENE 5 awn/44 4,

Patented Oct. 12, 1948 NHTED s'rrss PATNT orFicE SAFETY DEVICE FOR FIREARMS Irene E. Syrjala, Mount Clemens, Mich.

Application January 9, 1948, Serial No. 1,412

This invention relates to a safety device for firearms to positively preclude firing of the arm in one position, and adapted to be actuated by a single fractional and instantaneous movement of the thumb to position for permitting firing of the arm.

An object of the invention is to provide a device of this kind of simple construction and ease of installation. 7

Another object is the provision of such means readily manufactured and installed for both right-hand and left-hand firing.

' Another object is to provide a safety device consisting essentially of a single part.

These and other objects are attained by the means described herein and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a right-hand side elevational view, with parts broken away, of the firing action or unit and adjacent elements of a rifle.

Figure 2 is a bottom plan View of the same.

Figure 3 is a cross sectional view on line -33 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a detail perspective view of the main element of the safety device of this invention.

Figure 5 is a fragmental view, partly in cross section of the trigger and adjacent parts seen at the lower portion of Figure 1, with the safety in off position.

The usual safety device installed on rifles, particularly the types known as the 1903 Springfield and the 1898 Mauser rifle actions, is mounted on the bolt proper and is bulky and cumbersome, as well as inefiicient both in speed and in release, especially when a scope is associated with these types of action. The present invention is designed to eliminate these and related deficiencies by a simplified and highly efiicient expedient.

The invention is disclosed herein as a righthand installation. For left-hand installations the positions of parts would simply be reversed.

With detailed reference to the drawings: the invention is adapted to be associated with a rifle action indicated, generally, at B and comprising a receiver frame 9 mounted thereon and having a transverse bottom section (Figure 2), and lateral sections l I and I2.

A sear I3 is mounted spacedly beneath the transverse section IQ of the receiver frame and adjacent the forward end is pivotally connected therewith as at M. A spring l in the sear forwardly of pivotal connection M, bears against the said section H3, and urges the opposite rear end of the sear upwardly. As seen in Figures 1 and 5 this rear end includes an upward projec- 5 Claims. (Cl. 42-70) 2 tion 16 formed with a seat ll cooperating with the firing pin cocking catch l8.

The sear i3 is apertured at i 9 for receiving the trigger 20 which is mounted in said aperture on a pin 22 and which is formed with a pivot point 23 adapted to abut the transverse section H3 upon actuation of the trigger. The pressure onthe trigger is transmitted to the sear l3 through the trigger'locking pin 22 and trigger pivot point 23, forcing the front of the sear upwardly, against the pressure of spring l5, due to the pivotal mounting [4 of the sear. Simultaneously the seat ll of sear projection is disengages from cocking catch l8 by downward movement and thus releases the firing pin. The foregoing trigger structure and action is well-known.

The safety device (detail in Figure 4) comprises an elongated plate body 24 provided with a pair of longitudinally aligned slots 25 and 26 through which threaded bolts 2? and 28 extend into lateral section ll of the receiver frame for reciprocably mounting the body 2 3 thereon. An upward extension 29 at the rear end of body 24 is provided at the top with an out-turned thumb contact 38. The bottom edge of body 24 has a flange 3! thereon that lies against the adjacent edge portion of transverse section Ill of the receiver frame 9. At the forward end, flange 3| has integrally connected therewith the safety plate 32 formed in its rear edge with an arcuate notch 33.

Plate 32 is of such thickness as to fit between the forward end of scar l3 and transverse section I!) of the receiver frame when the trigger is in normal inoperative position, thus precluding trigger action and firing of the rifle. The safety plate 32 is placed in said position by rearward movement applied to the thumb contact 30. Forward movement thereof shifts safety plate 32 from between said parts, as seen in Figure 5,-

thus permitting trigger action. The notch 33 in safety plate 32 is designed to preclude interference of said plate with the sear-operating spring I5.

For releasably retaining the safety in its respective positions, the body 24 (see Figure 3) is provided laterally with a pair of recesses 34 and 35, spaced apart a distance equal to the backward and forward movement of the safety and, at the extremities of said movements, engaged by a spring-actuated ball stop 56 located on the lateral section II of the receiver frame.

The safety and firing positions of the safety are visibly indicated by a pair of colored dots 38 and 39 provided on the lateral section II of re- 3 ceiver frame 9 and alternately visible through an aperture 40 in the safety plate 24. Preferably the dot 38 is red and indicates the firing position when visible while the dot 39 is green and indicates the safety position.

What is claimed is:

1. The combination with a rifle action comprising a receiver frame, a sear pivotally mounted intermediate its ends on the frame and having its forward end normally positioned in spaced relation beneath the frame, and mean-sforactuating the sear, of a safety device comprising a body mounted on a side of the receiver frame for slidable forward and backward movement, and a plate on the body projecting laterally thereof beneath the frame and adapted, upon backward-andforward actuation of said body, tobemoved into and out of the space between the frame and'sear'for respectively precluding and providingfor pivotal movement of the sear.

2, The combination with a rifle action comprising a receiver frame, a sear pivotally-mounted intermediate its ends on the frame and having'its forward end normally positioned in spaced relation-beneath the frame, 'and'means for actuating the sear, of a safety device comprising a body' mounted on a sideof the receiver frame forslidable forward and backward movement, a plate at the forward end of said body and projecting laterally'thereof beneath the frame, and a thumb contact projecting laterally of the rear-end of said body for actuating the body, said plate being adapted, upon backward and forward: actuation of said body, to be moved into and out of the space between the frame and sear for respectively preeluding and providing for pivotal movement of the-sear,

3. The combination with a rifle action comprising-a receiver frame, a searpivotally mounted intermediate its ends on the frame and having its forward end normally positioned in'spaced relation beneath the frame, and means for actuating the sear, of a safety device comprising a body mounted on aside of the receiver frame for 'slidable forward and backward movement, a flange on said body and extending beneath said frame in slidable contact therewith; a plate at the for- Ward end of said body and projecting laterally thereof beneath the frame, and a thumb contact projecting laterally of the rear end of said body for actuating the body, said plate being adapted, upon backward and forward actuation of said body, to be moved into and out of the space between the frame and sear for respectively precluding and providing for pivotal movement of the sear.

4. The combination with a rifle action comprising a receiver frame, a sear p votally mounted intermediate its ends on'the frame andhaving its forward end normally positioned in spaced relation beneath the frame, and means for actuating the sear, of a safety device comprising a body mounted on a side of the receiver frame for slidable forward and backward movement, a plate on the body projecting laterally thereof beneath the frame and adapted, upon backward and forward actuation of said body, to be moved into and out of the space between the frame and sear for respectively precluding and providing for pivotal movement of the sear, and means for yieldably retaining said body in its forwardly and backwardly' reciprocated' positions.

5. The combination with a rifle action comrising a receiver frame, a sear pivotally mounted intermediate its ends on the frame andhaving its forward end normallypositioned in spaced relation beneath the frame, and means for actuating the sear, of a safety device comprising a body mounted-on a side of the receiver frameforslidable forward and backward movement, a plate on thebody projecting laterally thereof beneath the frame and adapted, uponbackward-andforward actuation of said body, to be moved into and out ofthe space between the frame and sear for respectively precluding and providing for pivotal movement of the sear, said body being provided laterally with a pair of aligned recesses spaced apart a distance equal to the reciprocable distance of the body, and a spring-actuated ball stop adapted to enter one of said recesses upon backward movement of the body and the other of'said recesses uponforwardmovement of the body for yieldably holding thebody in saidpositions.

IRENE E. SYRJ ALA.

No references cited. 

